upgrading sora group to 105

gf's Giant OCR3 has sora group that is too noisy and has too long of a "throw" on the shifters, could someone give me a ballpark figure as to how much it would cost to upgrade to the shimano 105 group? is it worth it? should i jump up to ultegra and what would the diff in price be?

gf's Giant OCR3 has sora group that is too noisy and has too long of a "throw" on the shifters, could someone give me a ballpark figure as to how much it would cost to upgrade to the shimano 105 group? is it worth it? should i jump up to ultegra and what would the diff in price be?

With bikes in that price range it would be cheaper to just get a new bike with the 105 or Ultegra on it, unless you could get the stuff used or on the cheap from ebay.

With bikes in that price range it would be cheaper to just get a new bike with the 105 or Ultegra on it, unless you could get the stuff used or on the cheap from ebay.

I agree. The resale market for entry level bikes is remarkably strong (unlike higher end bikes, where the seller usually takes it in the shorts). You can probably get $400 for that OCR3, and could get, for example, an OCR1 for about $1000. You could never do the upgrade for the difference.

I ride with some club folks who have used OCR3's for several seasons with none of the problems you mention... I'm wondering if you've just got a cable stretch, derailleur adjustment, or operator error issue, too.

But in any event, what I wouldn't recommend is taking off a Sora set with plenty of life on it and putting hundreds of dollars in upgrades on an entry level frame, fork, and wheelset.

thanks for the advice

she is totally content on her bike the way it is and loves to ride it, it is I being used to XTR derailleurs that cringe everytime I hear her shift and the curr-chunk sound that accompanies it. Also, I tried a different lube on her chain, Finish line "cross country" wet and it seems to have quieted down the residual whir. Thankfully she doesnt have the "GAS" that i do when it comes to buying bike gear. I am goin to replace that creakin adjustable stem tho'.

everytime I hear her shift and the curr-chunk sound that accompanies it.

I think jtolleson's "operator error" is the most likely cause for the "kerchunk." A shift under full power will get you that noise every time. Easing up a bit on the pedals while the chain's moving over to another cog will silence things considerably.

Not exactly sure what you mean by "residual whir," but if it's the noise you hear while she's coasting, it's coming from the hub pawls. Some hub models allow you to grease and quieten those easily, others don't.

Good advice to stick with Sora. 105 is ten-speed now, so you'd also have to spend some extra $ to convert from 8-speed to 10-speed. Not worth it. If your gf is shifting from the drops only, get her to try shifting with her hands on the hoods.

she is still getting the timing and "feel" for shifting, I am usually behind her and helping her w/ when to shift before it gets too hard. She likes to ride w/ the chain crossed all the way over too much and i'm trying to keep her from doing that also. I think she doesnt push the shifter over long enough for it to finish shifting sometimes and I know the 105's are shorter in that respect.
Her hubs are fine and it coasts quietly (besides the stem) but its the chain making the noise, like i said its quieted down considerable since i've used this new lube but the sora group is just going to be alittle noisier than more expensive components and I'll just have to live w/ it.
One day if she stays w/ it and wears them out I will upgrade to 105 probably or get her a new bike. Its just that the OCR3 frame is the same as the OCR1 so in my rationale, I could upgrade compents and basically have an OCR1 for cheaper.

Its just that the OCR3 frame is the same as the OCR1 so in my rationale, I could upgrade compents and basically have an OCR1 for cheaper.

Makes sense if the math works out. With the 105 10-speed group out now, you might be able to find a new 105 9-speed group at a bargain price somewhere. Someone will tell you that 9-speed parts will be hard to find, but I don't really believe that.

Did it..

I upgraded my road bike from Sora to 105 about three months ago, and I love it. Now, both my cross and my road bikes have 105, and I am saving the sora group to put on a frame for my wife. I spent about 450 bucks to do it, but that was with discounts, and I did all the wrenching myself...It was a great way to learn how to adjust and replace everything.

"I never meant to say that the Conservatives are generally stupid. I meant to say that stupid people are generally Conservative. I believe that is so obviously and universally admitted a principle that I hardly think any gentleman will deny it." John Stuart Mill, 1866

I took my Wife's Bianchi Brava from Sora to 105

However, I did source all the parts on eBay on the cheap (9 speed 105 about 2 years ago), and did all the wrenching myself. I bought all the parts for about $400, then sold the Sora on eBay for about $200 all in. She already had a hand me down set of wheels from me, so this was a pretty cheap upgrade.

I do agree with the poster about considering the overall quality of the frame and whether it is worth upgrading. In this case, the Brava is a Reynolds 520 steel frameset. Not the highest end or the lightest, but a nice ride. She also loves the color, so this was a win-win. Once she got into riding more I have offered to get her a higher end bike, but she is not into changing it out. Don't know where I went wrong there. Oh, well. Leaves more $ for my bikes!

If you are going to have a shop do the wrenching, I would probably suggest selling the bike and buying a new one. You will likely get a better frameset along with the components. Besides, most shops will give you the evil eye if you walk in with a box of components you bought somewhere else for them to install. At a minimum they will charge you full price for the install (as they should). You have to factor the labor into the cost of the upgrade.

So, if I understand this, I am a Clydesdale Fred who is a borderline poser? I thought I was just slow!